Molders

However, this low level exposure is rarely enough to cause asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma or asbestosis. These types of diseases are very rare overall, and occur most often in people exposed to larger concentrations of asbestos at work, or via secondary or high-level environmental exposure.

In general, workers in the construction and shipyard industries, as well as people working in manufacturing industries that used asbestos-containing products, were most at risk during the peak period of asbestos use between the 1940s and 1980s.

Molders were at risk during this period because their work involved manipulating plastics and other moldable substances to which asbestos was often added.

Asbestos Exposure

Molders work with plastics and other moldable materials, using machinery and equipment that mixes and pours heated or liquid materials into molds, which are then allowed to dry or cool to form a finished product of the desired shape. This type of work exposed workers to asbestos due to the addition of asbestos to plastics to improve desirable qualities of the finished products.

During the mixing and molding phases of operation, quantities of asbestos dust could be released into the air, exposing workers who were not provided with protective clothing. Modern mixing and molding equipment encloses dangerous materials, in the past, mixing of components, including asbestos, was carried out in the open, where exposure was not just possible, but highly likely. More than fifty former workers at a Durex plastics plant in New York have died from mesothelioma, because the company added asbestos to its products in the past. In some cases other types of workers may have been put at risk, even if they were not directly handling asbestos, if they worked near locations where it was being used.

Secondary asbestos exposure was also possible, simply because such large quantities of asbestos dust were released. Workers who were not provided with protective equipment were likely to transport asbestos fibers on their clothing, out of the factory, and into their homes, where their families might be exposed to the dangerous fibers.

Molding Asbestos Uses

Asbestos is a strong, durable mineral that is very resistant to chemical and thermal degradation. During the peak period of asbestos use between the 1940s and 1980s, it was often added to construction products, to increase their strength, stability, and thermal insulating qualities. Asbestos was also added to other products, including several different types of plastics, to improve their strength and fire-resistance.

The nature of the molder's job means they could have been exposed to asbestos from many different types of products. Any moldable plastics, or in fact any moldable materials, may potentially have had asbestos added to them if there was a need to improve the durability or thermal stability of the finished product. Because asbestos was so inexpensive to use and was such an effective substance at improving these qualities, it was used extensively.

What Molders Should Know

Exposure to asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma and asbestosis, two incurable diseases that are also difficult to treat effectively. Asbestos is often called a 'silent killer,' because asbestos-related diseases can take decades to appear, during which time the person may look and feel perfectly healthy.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition that develops as a result of prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers. Once inhaled, the fibers become lodged in the lungs, and cannot be expelled. Over time, these trapped fibers cause chronic inflammation and irritation, which eventually leads to the development of scar tissue. As the scar tissue builds up, it causes pain and breathing difficulty, because the scar tissue is not able to function like normal healthy lung tissue. Once the damage has been done, it can't be reversed, even if no more exposure occurred.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can develop following relatively small amounts of asbestos exposure. However, this disease has a much longer latency period. Because of this, people may not develop mesothelioma symptoms for three to five decades after exposure. Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer that is resistant to most current treatments, and most people who are diagnosed have a poor prognosis.

An estimated 27.5 million workers were exposed to asbestos between the 1940s and the 1980s. Because mesothelioma has such a long latency period, molders exposed to asbestos that during this time might still be at risk of developing this asbestos-related disease, even if they don't currently have any symptoms. Molders should get regular screening check-ups, and watching for symptoms such as pain and difficulty breathing, fever, and unexplained sudden changes in weight.

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